Systems and methods for performing ablation with a left atrial appendage implant device
Described herein are examples of a left atrial appendage (“LAA”) occlusion or elimination implant device further configured to ablate tissue located at an atrium of the heart or nearby veins and ostia. The implant device can be delivered to a patient's heart using a catheter system and includes a contact member comprising one or more electrodes. In use, the electrodes of the contact member can perform unipolar or bipolar ablation at an ablation site that is distinct from an ostium or interior of the LAA. The implant device can then be re-positioned at least partially within the LAA, and the contact member can be implanted to occlude or eliminate the LAA. The implant device can further include a securing element comprising one or more electrodes, the securing element configured to cooperate with the contact member in performing unipolar or bipolar ablation and/or occluding or eliminating the LAA.
1 . A left atrial appendage (“LAA”) treatment device, comprising:
an expandable frame comprising one or more conductive elements configured to ablate cardiac tissue at a location in or proximate a heart, the location being distinct from an ostium of an LAA and an interior of the LAA,
the expandable frame further configured for at least partial insertion into the LAA ostium to effect an occlusion or elimination of the LAA.
2 . The LAA treatment device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more conductive elements comprise one or more electrodes.
3 . The LAA treatment device of claim 2 , wherein a body of the expandable frame is configured to serve as an electrode.
4 . The LAA treatment device of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the one or more electrodes of the expandable frame serves as a first electrode in a pair of electrodes for performing bipolar ablation.
5 . The LAA treatment device of claim 4 , further comprising a securing element comprising one or more electrodes.
6 . The LAA treatment device of claim 5 , wherein at least one of the one or more electrodes of the securing element serves as a second electrode in the pair of electrodes for performing bipolar ablation.
7 . The LAA treatment device of claim 1 , wherein the cardiac tissue comprises tissue of a ventricle or an atrium.
8 . An implantable cardiac ablation device, comprising:
an expandable frame comprising one or more electrodes for ablating cardiac tissue of an atrium at a location distinct from a left atrial appendage (“LAA”) ostium and an interior of the LAA,
the one or more electrodes configured for implantation at least partially within the LAA.
9 . The implantable cardiac ablation device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more electrodes of the expandable frame are configured to perform RF ablation, PFA, or cryoablation.
10 . The implantable cardiac ablation device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more electrodes of the expandable frame are configured to perform unipolar ablation.
11 . The implantable cardiac ablation device of claim 8 , wherein the expandable frame comprises a material including one or more of nitinol, cobalt chromium, stainless steel, titanium, or combinations thereof.
12 . The implantable cardiac ablation device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more electrodes are coupled to the expandable frame.
13 . The implantable cardiac ablation device of claim 12 , wherein the one or more electrodes comprise one or more of stainless steel, cobalt chromium, gold, platinum, palladium, or alloys thereof.
14 . The implantable cardiac ablation device of claim 8 , the expandable frame comprising a plurality of struts, the one or more electrodes each coupled to a strut.
15 . A method for performing cardiac ablation using an implant device, comprising:
positioning an expandable frame comprising one or more electrodes at a first ablation site located outside a left atrial appendage (“LAA”) of a heart;
ablating cardiac tissue at the first ablation site by the one or more electrodes; and
re-positioning the expandable frame at an implant site located at least partially within the LAA.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the first ablation site is selected from one or more of: a pulmonary vein ostia, a left atrial posterior wall, a left atrial roof, a mitral isthmus, a coronary sinus, or a right atrium.
17 . The method of claim 15 , further including expanding the expandable frame before the ablating at the first ablation site.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein re-positioning the expandable frame comprises positioning a distal end of the expandable frame at least partially within the LAA.
19 . The method of claim 18 , further including expanding a securing member of the implant device, the securing member configured to cooperate with the expandable frame at the implant site.
20 . The method of claim 15 , further including ablating cardiac tissue using the one or more electrodes of the expandable frame at a second ablation site distinct from the first ablation site, the second ablation site located within the LAA or an ostium of the LAA.